Grammy winner sets up shop in Houma

Published: Monday, March 31, 2014 at 8:05 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, March 31, 2014 at 8:05 p.m.

Members of a musical legacy that cast off from the far reaches of Acadiana decades ago are returning home to roost.

Thursday at the Patio Bar, 314 Belanger St., in downtown Houma, Frank Ball sat on a stool next to Jon R. Smith, a Grammy award winning saxophone player who hails from Jeanerette. The two largely covered rhythm and blues hits from the '70s, '80s and '90s, mixing in some popular music.

The meeting of the two could be described as serendipitous. When Smith left New Orleans 40 years ago to become one of the music industry's most sought after journeyman sax players, Ball moved in to take his place.

“I played in a band he had been in called the Jackson Brewing Co. He was such a monster in that band they hired two of us to take his place, and I think we barely managed to do it,” Ball said.

Smith, now 68, started his professional career at age 12. At 16, he met Edgar Winter, best known for the chart topper “Free Ride.” Then, Smith was living in Lake Charles and would play in Vinton, near Beaumont, Texas, and the state line, where droves flocked to take advantage of Louisiana's then 18-year-old drinking age.

Winter played in a band called the Edgars, and Smith began his career as one of the music business' foremost journeymen.

Smith first toured in 1976 with Winter's White Trash and went on to play with Boz Skaggs, Toto, Dr. John Albert Collins, Peter Maffay, The Doobie Brothers, Keb Mo and others.

It was a business that both invigorated and infuriated the south Louisiana native.

“I was a young fellow and did real well and realized that the band was very successful, but me and most of the people involved were so screwed up at the time we didn't realize most anything,” Smith said, hidden behind dark framed glasses and a neatly trimmed beard.

Smith said his No. 1 priority since moving back to Louisiana is fishing. Second is keeping his saxophone chops in shape.

Ball, who himself returned to his native Houma earlier this year after retiring from real estate in Los Angeles, was introduced to Smith through Jack Bunn, a trumpet player who had stints with Jimmy Clinton.

Smith still counts on his musical gigs for some income. He carries a Hunter S. Thompson quote with him in his tenor saxophone case that reads 'The music business. It's a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side.'

“All the glory that everybody else sees in it isn't really there,” Smith said. “We had managers robbing us blind, booking agents robbing us blind, performers robbing us blind, hotels robbing us blind. Everybody else made money, but we didn't make any money because we had to pay for all of that.”

But for Smith, as much as for Ball, Houma has become the venue for a second career in music, the one that so long eluded both of them.

“I just got tired of beating the road. I've moved 27 times in the 41 years I've been married,” Smith said. “I pretty much just wore out. After a while you kind of have to let go and come back down to earth. The one good thing that happened to me was my friend Jack Bunn introduced me to this guy (Ball).”

The relationship has also rejuvenated the early dreams of Ball's career.

When Ball moved to Los Angeles, he did small-venue shows, weddings and private parties. He played so much that eventually he developed carpal tunnel syndrome, left music and got into real estate.

Ball slowly fell back into music as his passion in retirement, playing with a band from Mississippi before returning to Houma and putting together a trio that includes Roger George, the jewelry who helped put together the late Thibodaux Music Hall of Fame, and Thad Richard, who had stints playing keyboard with Paul McCartney.

The addition of Smith last month has made the group into a star-studded quartet that plays The Patio the second Saturday of each month.

Ball and Smith have put together more of a regular thing, playing the Patio, 7-11 p.m., Thursdays; Grady V's, 900 Country Club Blvd., Thibodaux, 5-10 p.m., Fridays; and the Tiger Lounge, 6723 W. Main St., Houma, 5-10 p.m., Saturdays.

<p>Members of a musical legacy that cast off from the far reaches of Acadiana decades ago are returning home to roost.</p><p>Thursday at the Patio Bar, 314 Belanger St., in downtown Houma, Frank Ball sat on a stool next to Jon R. Smith, a Grammy award winning saxophone player who hails from Jeanerette. The two largely covered rhythm and blues hits from the '70s, '80s and '90s, mixing in some popular music. </p><p> The meeting of the two could be described as serendipitous. When Smith left New Orleans 40 years ago to become one of the music industry's most sought after journeyman sax players, Ball moved in to take his place. </p><p>“I played in a band he had been in called the Jackson Brewing Co. He was such a monster in that band they hired two of us to take his place, and I think we barely managed to do it,” Ball said. </p><p>Smith, now 68, started his professional career at age 12. At 16, he met Edgar Winter, best known for the chart topper “Free Ride.” Then, Smith was living in Lake Charles and would play in Vinton, near Beaumont, Texas, and the state line, where droves flocked to take advantage of Louisiana's then 18-year-old drinking age. </p><p>Winter played in a band called the Edgars, and Smith began his career as one of the music business' foremost journeymen. </p><p>Smith first toured in 1976 with Winter's White Trash and went on to play with Boz Skaggs, Toto, Dr. John Albert Collins, Peter Maffay, The Doobie Brothers, Keb Mo and others. </p><p>It was a business that both invigorated and infuriated the south Louisiana native. </p><p>“I was a young fellow and did real well and realized that the band was very successful, but me and most of the people involved were so screwed up at the time we didn't realize most anything,” Smith said, hidden behind dark framed glasses and a neatly trimmed beard. </p><p>Smith said his No. 1 priority since moving back to Louisiana is fishing. Second is keeping his saxophone chops in shape. </p><p>Ball, who himself returned to his native Houma earlier this year after retiring from real estate in Los Angeles, was introduced to Smith through Jack Bunn, a trumpet player who had stints with Jimmy Clinton. </p><p>Smith still counts on his musical gigs for some income. He carries a Hunter S. Thompson quote with him in his tenor saxophone case that reads 'The music business. It's a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side.'</p><p>“All the glory that everybody else sees in it isn't really there,” Smith said. “We had managers robbing us blind, booking agents robbing us blind, performers robbing us blind, hotels robbing us blind. Everybody else made money, but we didn't make any money because we had to pay for all of that.” </p><p>But for Smith, as much as for Ball, Houma has become the venue for a second career in music, the one that so long eluded both of them. </p><p>“I just got tired of beating the road. I've moved 27 times in the 41 years I've been married,” Smith said. “I pretty much just wore out. After a while you kind of have to let go and come back down to earth. The one good thing that happened to me was my friend Jack Bunn introduced me to this guy (Ball).”</p><p>The relationship has also rejuvenated the early dreams of Ball's career. </p><p>When Ball moved to Los Angeles, he did small-venue shows, weddings and private parties. He played so much that eventually he developed carpal tunnel syndrome, left music and got into real estate. </p><p>Ball slowly fell back into music as his passion in retirement, playing with a band from Mississippi before returning to Houma and putting together a trio that includes Roger George, the jewelry who helped put together the late Thibodaux Music Hall of Fame, and Thad Richard, who had stints playing keyboard with Paul McCartney. </p><p>The addition of Smith last month has made the group into a star-studded quartet that plays The Patio the second Saturday of each month. </p><p>Ball and Smith have put together more of a regular thing, playing the Patio, 7-11 p.m., Thursdays; Grady V's, 900 Country Club Blvd., Thibodaux, 5-10 p.m., Fridays; and the Tiger Lounge, 6723 W. Main St., Houma, 5-10 p.m., Saturdays.</p>